by Tawny Weber
“It wouldn’t do me any good to tell you what to do, Genna. You need to figure it out yourself.” He hesitated, then as if he couldn’t resist, added, “Whatever it is, you need to make sure it’s right for both of you. And that it’s something you’ll be comfortable living with for the rest of your life.”
For the rest of her life?
Since she wanted to spend that with Brody, whatever it was, she’d better make it good.
14
“LANE.”
Brody sighed, taking a second to rub at the pain knotted between his eyes before turning around. He set the case of beer he’d been carrying on the bar just in case he needed both hands.
“Sheriff.”
“We need to talk.”
“I’m still officially enlisted in the U.S. Navy on medical leave. If you’re looking to drive me out of town, you’re going to need a new game plan.”
Reilly offered a chilly look, then gave a quick nod.
“Good to know.”
“You might also want to know that I’m not playing this time,” Brody said, figuring he might as well lay it all out from the get-go. “You have an issue, you deal with me direct and we hash it out. You’re not calling the shots, but I’m willing to work with you to make Genna’s life easier.”
Reilly’s stare grew contemplative.
“Actually it’s Genna I’m here to talk about.”
“I figured.”
“My daughter isn’t happy. I accept my share of the blame and I’m working on that. I figure you need to step up, too, and deal with yours.”
Sheriff Reilly wanted him to fix things with his little princess? Brody tensed. That, he hadn’t figured.
“Isn’t this why Genna stopped talking to you?”
“There’s a difference between looking out for someone, in trying to help make their life a little smoother, and in trying to force them to live their lives the way you want.”
“So wouldn’t your being here fall under the forcing things category?” Brody asked. Even when he wasn’t trying to run his daughter’s life, the guy still had to poke his nose in?
“I don’t see that I’m forcing anything. Just having a conversation.”
“Nice.” Brody rolled his eyes.
“Genna said you’re leaving the navy. Why?”
“Why the hell do people keep asking me that?” Brody shoved his hand through his hair, even more irritated to feel how long it’d grown since he’d been on leave. Just another sign that he didn’t fit, wasn’t himself. “I’m getting out. End of discussion. I thought that’d make Genna happy. Don’t women want guys who are around more than a few months a year?”
“I can’t claim to be an expert on women, but I think they’d want a guy who’s honest with them. One who lives his purpose, even if that purpose doesn’t revolve around them. If you leave the service because you think it’s what she wants or because you think that’s the only way you can make a relationship work, then your odds of going the distance are pretty slim. She’s either strong enough to handle your career, or she’s not. Don’t put the burden of her happiness on your shoulders.”
“Quite a statement from a dad who spent the last ten years putting that burden on his daughter.”
Cheap shot, but Brody was feeling mean.
The sheriff took it like a man, though. Instead of snapping back, he simply nodded. Leaving Brody to feel like an ass.
“I won’t be getting any parenting awards. In retrospect, I’m pretty sure Cara and I made every mistake in the book. And our children paid for them.” Reilly paused, clenching his jaw and his face tight with grief. “Genna and Joe paid for our mistakes. The same as you paid for Brian’s.”
“Not even close to the same thing.” Shaking his head, Brody grimaced. “Whatever mistakes you made, and I’m not saying there weren’t some head scratchers, you always loved your kids. You acted out of concern. They knew that. Both of them.”
He didn’t bother to add that Brian hadn’t had an ounce of love to offer anyone, let alone his son. And his only concern had always been himself.
“I’ll deny it if you ever repeat this,” Brody said quietly, feeling like an idiot but scanning the empty room anyway to make sure he wasn’t overheard. “But I used to be jealous of Joe having a guy like you for a dad. I always figured if I had kids, I’d do a lot of things the way you did. Not all of them, since I’m a fan of learning from other people’s screwups. But some.”
“Thank you,” Reilly said quietly. His face wasn’t any less tight, but he’d lost that miserable look in his eyes. “I guess it’s only fair that I tell you that there weren’t a few times after you shipped out that I didn’t wish Joe were more like you.”
Holy crap. Brody jerked his shoulders, trying to shake off the emotional impact of that. This was getting ridiculous. A few more exchanges like that and they’d be hugging and offering to do each other’s fingernails.
Still, he knew what it must have cost the guy to say that, so he could only offer honesty in return.
“I’m not leaving the navy because of Genna.”
The sheriff arched one brow and waited.
Brody ground his teeth. This definitely wasn’t one of those “jealous for Reilly as a father” moments.
“I failed. You know how that goes, right? Despite any random thoughts you might have had to the contrary, you’ve called it plenty of times when you said I was a loser.”
The sheriff rocked back on his heels, both hands in his front pockets as he considered that.
“You’re talking about the guy who was killed on this mission?”
Brody went hot, then cold. Fury iced in his veins, freezing out his regret over how things had gone down with Genna. What the hell? She’d shared what he’d told her? Fists clenched, he wondered if the bar would withstand a few solid punches. As the fury coiled tighter, he realized he didn’t care.
Before he could release his anger on the decrepit wood, the sheriff held up one hand.
“The mayor pulled strings, called in a few favors to get the basics for the hero event he put together. Nothing classified, all approved by your admiral.”
Tension seeping away, Brody wondered how many different ways he could feel like an ass in one conversation.
“I figure that kind of thing, losing someone like that, it might give you second thoughts. Inspire a little worry. Maybe even fear.”
“I’m not afraid,” Brody said dismissively. Shaking his head at that crazy thought, he laughed and went back to stacking cases of beer. Time to call an end to this conversation.
“Not for yourself.”
Brody froze. He took a deep breath, slowly lowering the box onto the bar. Okay then. The conversation wasn’t quite over.
He gave the older man a questioning look.
“No? Then who am I afraid for?”
“Only you can answer that.” The sheriff shrugged. “If it were me, though, I’d probably be worried about my teammates. Maybe a little concerned that I couldn’t pull off the mission perfectly, so that means I was flawed. That I wasn’t a solid SEAL.”
Brody had taken plenty of hits in his day. Some he’d been braced for, others had come as a complete shock. But nothing had knocked him on his ass quite like the sheriff’s words.
He had to take a few breaths to pull his thoughts together. A few more to shake off the creepy feeling that the other guy was peeking through his brain for information.
“Your teammates are SEALs,” he finally said, matching Reilly’s light, conversational tone. “They’re trained to kick ass and if they thought you were afraid for them, they’d kick yours.”
The sheriff’s lips twitched.
“And the rest?”
Brody shrugged. The rest was right on target. But he wasn’t a pansy-ass. He’d spent most of his life being called a loser, feeling like his situation flawed him in one way or another. He’d overcome it before, he could overcome it again.
“You know, I was a green rookie right out of the p
olice academy when I married Genna’s mother. I was so damned cocky, so sure I could handle anything.” Reilly smiled, a reminiscing look on his face. “Then I got a domestic abuse call. Before I could knock on the door, the guy shot me.”
Brody frowned. Obviously it hadn’t been fatal. But still...
“My first thought as I hit the ground was Cara. That she was going to freak, want me to quit the force. My second thought was that it hurt like a son of a bitch, and that I wasn’t as invincible as I’d figured.” The man paused, whether reliving the moment or for effect to let those words sink in, Brody wasn’t sure. “But Cara didn’t freak. She never asked me to quit, and if she worried, she never let on. And you know what? Not being invincible made me a better cop.”
If he’d taken a huge stick and smacked Brody upside the head with it, the guy couldn’t have hammered the message home any stronger.
It wasn’t just his own fears Brody had been nursing like a dirty little secret. He’d generously assigned a whole slew of them to Genna, too. Fears she’d never once voiced, probably hadn’t even considered.
But worrying about her fears, protecting her at his own expense? That’d been a hell of a lot easier than admitting his own.
Brody dropped his head back, staring at the ceiling and trying to figure out how he’d lost sight of the simple facts.
Genna was sweet, loving and sassy. She was clever, gorgeous and talented. And she was strong. Strong enough to tell him what she wanted. And what she didn’t want.
But he hadn’t given her a chance.
He’d done the same thing he’d cussed her father out for.
He’d made the decisions for her, all in the name of protecting her.
Maybe he was more like the good sheriff than any of them realized. And that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
“Figure it out?” Reilly asked after giving Brody a few minutes to stew in his own stupidity.
“I blew it,” Brody confessed. Then he shrugged and shook his head. “I’m surprised she didn’t kick my ass before she walked out.”
“You want to make it up to her?”
No. He’d rather find her, kiss her crazy until she forgot all the stupidity of the last week, then lose himself in her body for a few hours. But he didn’t figure that was the answer. Nor anything her father needed to know.
So he shrugged instead.
“Tucker went ahead with that event. The hero thing? It’s happening in about, oh―” he checked his watch “―ten minutes.”
“Without me?”
“Our esteemed mayor doesn’t like to waste a chance to show off for the press.”
Damn.
The only thing Brody wanted less than facing the crappy thoughts tangled up in his head was to stand up in front of a bunch of people and be declared a freaking hero. He wasn’t one.
But Genna saw him as one.
Which, he finally let himself admit, made him feel pretty damned good.
Besides, if he went it’d make her happy.
And he wanted that more than he wanted to hide.
“I’m not saying I changed my mind,” he declared, grabbing the bar keys from under the counter, then snagging his jacket. “I’m doing this for Genna. So she knows I’m not a total ass.”
And, maybe, so she’d forgive him.
Then he could get rid of this sick feeling in his gut. And maybe, just maybe, they could talk about the future and how she’d feel about sharing hers with a SEAL.
Maybe.
If he changed his mind.
Following Reilly to the cop car, Brody realized that while he’d ridden in a few over the years, this was his first visit to the front seat. Then the sheriff hit the road.
“Where are we going? Town hall is the other way.”
“We gotta stop by your place. Your gramma made arrangements for your dress uniform to be here in case you decided to do her proud today.”
Dress whites?
Shit.
* * *
A HALF HOUR LATER, Brody flexed his shoulders to try to get the heavy fabric of his uniform to lie comfortably. His hat tucked under his arm, he took a second to glare at the spit-shine polish on his black shoes and wonder if his gramma had done that. Then another moment to absorb how special it was that she had.
“C’mon,” Reilly said quietly.
Since the cop had parked illegally in front of the town hall, all they had to do was mount the steps and push through the wide doors. All the way, Brody focused as if he was approaching a mission. No room for emotions. He was here to do a job. A job that he was trained for, one that his military résumé claimed he was qualified to do.
A deep breath, his emotions locked tight in some far corner he never saw when he was in the zone, he entered the battle—or as everyone else called it, the main hall.
And stopped short.
Damn, this was bigger than he’d expected. It looked as though the entire town had crowded into the huge room. Off to one side were a handful of strangers, cameras and recorders in hand. The press. On stage the mayor stood at a lectern, Genna seated to his right. To the left was a row of chairs, all but one filled.
His team. To a man, they were all here. Like him, they were all decked out in dress whites. He tensed, his eyes widening when he saw who was seated in the command position. Admiral Pierce? Wasn’t it bad enough being declared a hero in front of a team of men just as heroic? But they’d brought in the brass, too?
Then he noticed the large framed photo propped before the podium.
Carter.
This wasn’t about him, Brody realized.
This event was to honor Carter.
The real hero.
Reeling with emotions so strong they almost knocked him on his ass, Brody’s gaze cut to Genna. She stared right back, her chin high and pride in her eyes. She’d arranged this. She’d understood what he hadn’t.
His gut ached with the power of his feelings.
He looked at his team.
And knew they were all feeling the same thing.
Pride and loss.
Knowing, accepting, that he belonged up there next to them, Brody nodded to Reilly, then made his way to the front of the room. After his salute to the admiral, he took his seat.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today,” the mayor said, his tone holding jovial respect. “I’d like to offer a special thanks to our honored guests. Admiral Pierce, Bedford’s own Brody Lane, as well as the United States Navy SEAL team he serves with.”
Mayor Tucker dived into his speech with gusto, reveling in the attention but keeping a sober, respectful tone that made it clear that this was more than just a promo op for him.
After he wound up his words by expressing pride that the town could call one of their own a part of such an esteemed group, he handed the lectern over to the SEALs.
Brody joined his team as they honored their fallen comrade. Like the others, when his time came he stood and said a few words. Not about heroism, or about his own loss. He spoke of what it meant to be a SEAL. Of why they did what they did. It wasn’t for glory, or even for acknowledgment. That’s why their missions were classified. They did it because they were the best. Because they were the ones who could.
As he finished, he looked at his team. Landon, Masters, Castillo and the rest. Their faces echoed the pride he felt. By the time he stepped away from the lectern, he’d found peace.
His gaze found Genna’s.
And there, he’d found love.
He figured it was a lucky man who could claim both. And an idiot who’d let either go.
* * *
GENNA WIPED THE tears from her cheeks, but they just kept coming. Thankfully, nobody was looking at her as she moved off the stage. All eyes were on the SEALs as the men stood to leave. She wouldn’t have been surprised if the building didn’t tilt to one side, everyone moved toward them so quickly.
“Genna.”
After another quick swipe over her cheeks, she turned to offer the ma
yor a smile.
“That was fabulous. Wonderful,” he gushed, almost bouncing in his Gucci loafers he was so excited. “I wasn’t sure about the changes at first, but you were so right. Kudos. If you ever want a job with me again, it’s yours.”
After a quick pat on her shoulder, he made like a whirlwind toward the press. Leaving Genna to blink. Wow. The man had never been that effusive when he’d actually had to sign her paycheck.
“Nice offer.”
Sighing, she turned to face her parents. “I’m not going back to work for the mayor.”
“Of course you’re not, darling,” her mother said, elbowing her husband. “I’ve been playing hostess at the dessert table. Sweetheart, your offerings are amazing. And the money people are paying!”
Genna and her father exchanged smiles. Nothing turned Cara Reilly’s opinion around faster than other people’s opinions. Especially when those opinions were made in cash.
“I just wanted to sneak away for a moment to give you a kiss and tell you how proud I am,” her mother continued. “Now I’m going back to the table. I want to make sure every sale includes a flier for your business. I’m keeping a list, too, of people who’ve expressed interest. I’ll be happy to follow up and remind them to buy stuff later.”
As excited as if she’d thought it up and pushed Genna into starting Sugar and Spice herself, Cara gave her daughter a quick kiss, then hurried off.
“Thank you,” she said quietly to her father.
“I didn’t change her mind,” he said with a shrug. “And I’m still not completely sure this is a good idea. There are a lot of risks. But I do believe you can handle them.”
“Then thank you twice,” Genna said with a reluctant laugh. “For believing I can handle myself. And for bringing Brody.”
Her dad nodded, his gaze cutting across the room. Maybe it was the white uniforms, or just the general air of command, but the SEALs stood out as if a spotlight were shining on them.
“He’s a good man,” her father told her. He offered a bittersweet smile. “The kind of man anyone would be proud to have for a son.”
Oh. Genna had thought she was through with tears. Knowing how hard that was for her father to say, to even think given his guilt and anger over Joe, all she could do was offer a hug. And sniffle a little more.
